- 27 Dec 2011
Menstruation and the rise of the real
Menstruation may seem like a gritty topic for a blog post and if you are offended now you are really going to be offended in the coming years as the "rise of real" rolls through every aspect of our society.
Are you prepared for what that will mean to your business?
Advertising is just one of the windows into a societal sea change that has been documented and written about by a number of pundits and gurus including my favourite - Roy Williams, the Wizard of Ads (search 2003 is 1963 all over again for his post on the pendulum swing).
The upshot is that every 40 years the pendulum of our zeitgeist swings from two polar opposites. A simple way to describe the swing is "from me to we". On one end is an over hyped and plastic world were the individual rules the day. On the other end a socially conscious society that values authenticity and gritty realism. That's where we are swinging to.
You can use art, movies and music to trace this trend. Madonna is great example. In the 1980's she was a "Material Girl" with a style that now seems outlandish if not ridiculous. Thirty years later she is a mother with a social conscience and her style of music matches the times. She has stayed relevant by following the pendulum swing.
You can do the same thing with James Bond. In the 80's Bond was a perfectly coiffed playboy who could jump through a plate glass window without a scratch. Today, Bond bleeds when he gets a paper cut and his even more realistic box office competitor Jason Bourne is giving him a run for his money in theatres.
So what does that have to do with menstruation and your business?
The Rubicon was crossed this year when it comes to feminine hygiene products when the blue liquid we have been so familiar changed to red (just a tiny red dot mind you) in an Always ad.
A red dot. Like real blood. Not a phony blue dot.
But wait there's more...
Take a look at Kotex's specialty site ubykotex.com and note the realism. You won't find a white bikini or a smiling woman dancing in a field of flowers...oh wait...you will ...in the mock ads you find on the site. Even the menu bar is real with content sections called "real talk" and "get real".
The site is a platform for a campaign where you can sign a "declaration of real talk" or join the Facebook page or Twitter feed. And there is the other thing driving the swing.
Social media channels are another key to "rise of the real" as the medium is accelerating the ability for real people to talk to each in their real voices.
Companies that try to be anything but authentic in these mediums soon find out that their audience will see through them like grandma's underpants. Hype and posturing are a sure fire way to lose friends and followers. Saying "grandma's underpants" will keep them if that is how you really talk.
Most recently, we’ve seen a huge mea culpa from o.b. tampons after their ill-informed decision last year to stop manufacturing their Ultra tampons. According to the Globe & Mail, the decision led to a “girlcott” of the company and sent “the price of a box of 40 from about $4 to upwards of $100” as women scoured the globe for the last box of their favourite tampons.
Inquiries to Johnson & Johnson at the time were met with this response: “We appreciate your passion for the o.b. brand and regret to confirm the discontinuation of the o.b. Ultra product. Please know that we value all of your comments and are currently evaluating the possibility of bringing o.b. Ultra back to shelves.”
Today, Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures o.b., now admits killing the production of its most beloved product was a huge mistake. o.b. is now offering a “Triple Apology” – an online, personalized video apology to the millions of women that were up in arms following the Ultras' sudden discontinuation. The video features a heart-throb crooner who sings directly to the user (you have to enter your name before the video begins) and apologizes. At the end of the commercial, a coupon pops up that carries the message: “Thanks. We owe you one. We hear you and want you to know that we’re working hard to bring o.b. Ultra Tampons back to the market.”
How’s that for honest, real and authentic?
We are looking for businesses and organizations who are bold enough and honest enough to engage in authentic conversations with their customers and their community.
The red dot is just the beginning.
